Eni Oken's Jewelry Journal

Woven Hearts Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:51:00 +0000

After the post of the Heart of Gold pendant, I got flooded with so many requests to finalize the tutorial that I decided to sit for two days and finished it off. So here it is!!!! I had to repeat some of the photographs to figure out the bail portion, but now it's done and ready.
The best part of writing this tutorial was that it was almost like writing a beautiful love letter, especially steps 52 (connecting the two hearts) and step 53 (open up the two hearts). With love theme music in the background, it was a wonderful project to make...

With love, to all of you: Woven Hearts Pendant Tutorial.

FSOJ 2008 Week 18: Heart of Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:48:00 +0000

This is a double woven heart I'm going to give to a dear friend on Mother's day. I'm still working on the tutorial, but have still to work out the best way to create the bail. In this one, a jumpring holding five other rings was attached to the back. The center stone is a gorgeous facted aaa lemon quartz.

BeadCruise 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:02:00 +0000

My only live classes are always on the Ocean!!!
BeadCruise is going to happen again, and I can't wait to set sail again....

When: March 1 - 8th, 2009
Our next adventure will start in the city of New Orleans. We'll sail
for 7 nights on Norwegian's Spirit for a freestyle cruising experience.
Our tropical ports of call include Cozumel, Santo Tomas de Castilla,
Belize City and Costa Maya.

Instructors for 2009 are Marcia Decoster, Mary Hettsmansperger,
Eni Oken, Beverly Herman and your host, Heather Powers.
For more information go to: http://www.beadcruise.com/ .

Hurry hurry, because registration starts VERY SOON (I heard May 12th, or even earlier) and my classes fill up soon!

What gauge to use for woven pieces?

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:21:00 +0000

Question: I have a [woven] bracelet design I've been working on. I've chosen 16 gauge for the support. It will be about 3/8 in. wide. I'm unsure what gauge to use for the weaving. I've thought about going as high as 22 or 21 ga. ... the bracelet needs to be sturdy. Do you have any advice on wire ga. and how to harden it afterwards, if neccessary? Not sure if something with a weave like this should go in a tumbler.

Answer:
I think 21ga is WAY too thick. As a rule of thumb, to make the weave look really nice is use 10 numbers up or down. If you are using 16ga for support, then use at least a 26 ga for the weave. You can use even thinner, but nothing thicker than that, or it will look very coarse. (Unless coarse is the look you are going for. ) I normally use 18ga or 20ga, woven with 28ga.

As for hardening the woven wire, the only way to do it is to through it in the tumbler for a couple of hours. Don't even try to touch it, or you'll ruin the weave. It will be just fine in the tumbler, the only problem is that some of the pellets might get stuck, so use caution when removing them so the wires don't get crooked.

Copyright sign on photos

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Question: I like how you put a copyright sign and your name on all your pictures. Could you tell me the program you use to do this, and how you do it?

Answer: Essentially, I open up the file in Photoshop and add text to it, it's that simple. I do it in light grey, so that won't be too strong on the image. If you don't have Photoshop, then you can use Window's Paint program just as well.

Here's a tip: to input the "copyright sign", instead of typing on your keyboard, press the Alt button and then 0169 numbers on your numeric keypad. Then type the rest of your name.

FSOJ 2008 Week 17: Simple woven hoops

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:41:00 +0000

These very simple and elegant hoops I made for my own use. They measure just under 2 inches in diameter and complement very well those fancy necklaces! The thick wire is 20ga, woven with 28ga. Really lightweight, love them!

FSOJ 2008 Week 16: Aquastar

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:02:00 +0000

This is a variation of the sunburst created last week -- a much more organic and irregular version and this time mixing stones (aquamarines) and charms. I tried to add some of the weaves done for the other one, but it hid the stones too much and I ripped it away. I like it, but I think I like the one without the stones better, for some reason. Need to try to make another one of those in goldfilled.

The Underlying Design Structure

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:57:00 +0000

This is email has such an interesting question that I thought it worth to post in its entirety. I've been waiting for someone to ask me this one...

Question:
Hello Eni -
I fell in love with your site and your jewelry a few months ago. I've made jewelry for years, but your design and your technique speaks so deeply to my sense of beauty and ornament.So, of course, I got to work and ordered lots of your tutorials (and eagerly await some more). In the meantime, I spend too much time staring at some pieces and wondering just where to begin to make something similar?

I think I'm talking first principles here. I want to know how to build the piece or, at least, how to think about it.For instance. The Marine Relic Pendants. I see 2 or 3 stones of slightly different sizes and cuts. They seem to be drilled. How do you combine (or unite them) to create a unified design? Or, with 5 stones, how to do you first think of putting them together? Is there some way to think about this? Do you ornament them first or do you first unify them and then consider other design elements? Do you know how the stones/gems will be supported/unified/connected before you begin?

I'm not asking whether you know how the piece will be before you make it. This is more concrete. Am I talking about armiture? (Not entirely familiar with that word in the jewelry context.)If I have 5 stones, all drilled lengthways, and I want to put them together in a pendant or something even more impressive like the pink paella necklace, then where/how do I begin the design process?

I want to provide support for the stones and decorative accents, but I need to know my stones are in a solid construction.I'd love a tutorial on the thinking and the development that goes in to making different pieces. What do you think of first? How do you make a unified, supported design of disparate elements. How much do you consider if something is "workable" before you begin?

I would love an answer, but this is a long note and I can wait for another tutorial. I'd love to see the whole Pink Paela series explained to me, along with the Marine Relic Pendants and the green tourmaline pendant.

It's such a pleasure to just look at your work and to know you have a commitment to share is like a godsend. I'll keep looking and puzzling and being excited by each new thing you show.The very, very best to you,Sincerely,

Answer:
A long question requires a long answer, so bear with me. As a person who studied ornament design extensively and with an architectural background, the underlying structure of a design is always a major consideration. How will the stones be held in place, and how do I make it so that the piece looks designed and unified.

In design, (any type of design, graphics, urban, industrial), there are a few types of underlying structures to choose from. A piece can have any of the following structures:
1) Radial -- that is, radiating from a center point into various directions),
2) Linear -- following a line or track (sometimes with multiple parallels and sometimes not straight)
3) Circular -- following a round circular system (slightly different from radial)
4) Chaotic or cluster -- without any apparent center or structure
5) Spiral -- forms a spiral (also similar to radial and circular)
6) Shape -- follows a geometric shape, like a square, rectangle, pentagon, etc.
Etc.
This list by no means is comprehensive.

Then, there are also the multiple combinations. You can combine a structure that has two major centers, forming a double radial. Or a linear which mixes with chaotic. Or a linear with radial. There are so many possibilities!

If you analise most pieces of jewelry, they follow one or more of these design structures. My bangles, for example, are obviously linear. They start with a linear core, and the elements are added parallel to that core.

My pendants are usually radial or circular -- they start with one or two larger stones, around which the other smaller elements gather and cluster. What seems to be very chaotic to you would appear extraordinarily simple seen from the back.

For the marine relic which you mentioned, there are two stones connected and then elements are added around and over.

So in fact, it always starts like this:
1) Choosing one or more types of underlying structures.
2) Selecting the stones which will form that structure -- usually (but not always) larger and more beautiful, important stones.
3) Connecting those important stones using an armature or frame to follow the structure(s) selected. If the stones are drilled, then wire goes inside, if the stones are not drilled, then wire is used under with some sort of method to setting to secure -- netting, prongs, etc.
4) Adding smaller stones and ornamentation around, over and in between the more important stones. This is usually done with the much thinner wire, with fiber techniques, but could be done in any other way.
The last step is what in fact, makes the design look more or less chaotic. If you add elements in an organized way, following the structure, then the work looks cleaner and neater. If the elements are added in a chaotic and irregular way, then the piece turns out more organic.

First put your big stones, then your medium ones, then your small ones.
It's easier to use one type of structure at first, then try to combine them later on.
That's it!
One day maybe I will make a tutorial on this, but what you have here is the essence of how it works. It helps to draw a very simple sketch of the structure -- not the final piece -- to serve as a guide.

Thanks again for asking this -- the teacher in me has been longing to answer this one!
:-)
---Eni Oken

FSOJ 2008 Week 15: Starburst Pendant

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:41:00 +0000

I thought I would try something very different: this Starburst pendant is shaped like a sun, with some organic woven ladders in the middle. Feels small but very substantial, feels solid!

Stringing wire

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:59:00 +0000

Question:
I have a quick question, do you use soft flex or wire when you make the necklace portion of your designs? If wire, what gauge? Thanks

Answer: I never string the necklace portion with regular wire, it can easily snap and it doesn't have much flexibility.
To string necklaces, I use Nylon Coated Stringing Wire (soft flexible wire). I prefer to use Professional 49 strands (because it has greater flexibility). The thicker the wire, the heavier the necklace can be. I use between 0.018 for slighly heavier necklaces and 0.013 for lighter pieces. The brand I'm currently using right now is Beadalon, but I don't personally have a preference for this or that brand.

Wire: dead soft or half-hard?

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:48:00 +0000

Question:
I've just bought a couple of your fab jewellery tutorials but I'm not sure that I've bought the right silver wire. Would you mind advising me please?
Is the 18 gauge wire hard or half-hard?
Is the 26 and 28 gauge soft or dead soft please?

Answer:
normally you choose the wire as follows:
Between 14 ga and 20ga: half hard OR dead-soft.
Between 22ga and 30ga: only dead-soft.
The reason you want to have the thinner wire be dead-soft is because it becomes harder and more brittle with manipulation. So always start with deadsoft wire when using any type of fiber technique.

Jewelry Calculator: saving worksheets versus workbooks

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:55:00 +0000

I received the following question via email regarding usage of the Jewelry Calculator:
>>>Is there any way to save data on a jewelry item without having to open a new workbook? It seems the only way to log information using your spreadsheet is to use the SaveAs feature and save a whole new xls file and then open the original workbook again and start over for each new piece. Is there a way to get it all to save in the same workbook on separate sheets so that it's all in one file perhaps?

The answer: I normally save a whole new worksheet, but this is how you can save a new worksheet:

SHORT AND FAST ROUTE:
Click and DRAG the tab called "Jewelry Price Calculator", located at the lower left corner of the calculator. You will see a small sheet of paper on the cursor. Press the CTRL button and you will see a small plus sign inside the sheet. Let go and a duplicate of that worksheet will appear!

Alternative LONG ROUTE:

1) Click with the RIGHT BUTTON of the mouse on the lower left tab named "Jewelery Price Calculator". A small menu will appear, select "Move or Copy".

2) A small dialog box will open. Make sure the option "Create a copy is selected".

3) A new tab called "Jewelry Price Calculator (2)" will appear. Click with RIGHT BUTTON of the mouse again, and this time select "Rename".

4) Type the new name of the new Worksheet. Now you can keep all your calculations in the same workbook.

This is especially useful if you have similar products or want to compare different alternative solutions to pricing a piece.

To check out the calculator, go here: Jewelry Price Calculator for Excel.

FSOJ 2008 Week 14: Beadcruise pendant

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:48:00 +0000

This is my first entry for the FSOJ this year. I was debating if I should should start to catch up the last 12 weeks but figured it would be best to just bite the bullet and start at the second quarter -- Week 14.
This pendant was started at the BeadCruise I just recently went on, to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. The center cab is a gorgeous natural amazonite, with a blue-green so deep that it reminds me of the waters of the Caribbean. It's trapped in a netted bezel and surrounded by rough faceted peridot, aquamarine and apatite.

Net Bezel with two stones

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:57:00 +0000

I got the following message via email:

"Hi Eni, How do you make the Netted Bezel without the bail? What do you do with the end's of the wire? I am working on attaching 2 netted bezels stones together one on top of the other for a pendent. Only the one on top needs the bail. I am not sure how to end the wire on the second one."

Answer: I usually just form tiny loops at the ends, or spirals. When connecting two stones together, I usually form an underlying figure eight instead of trying to make two separate circular frames. That way, I only have two ends of the wire to deal with, and not four.
In this example, the underlying structure holding the two stones is a figure eight. After that, a second wire was added for the border (see also Border for Net Bezel).

BeadCruise 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:37:00 +0000

I'm back from the BeadCruise and it was just a ton of fun! I taught two classes, a full day and a half day. We sailed a total of 5 days, stopping in Jamaica and Grand Cayman islands.
Here are some pictures:

On the ship leaving Fort Lauderdale.

Ladies hard at work during the first full day class: Coiled bangle.

At shore in Jamaica.

Second class: half day: Netted Pendant.

About the Ruby Pendant

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:04:00 +0000

QUESTION: I don't see the link to make this piece : http://www.enioken.com/jewelry/gem104.html
If I wanted to make this, where would I fine the supplies??... where would I find the beautiful faceted opaque rubies that you use to make this item.

ANSWER: There is no specific tutorial to build this particular piece, however, the tutorial http://www.enioken.com/jewelry/spiralpendant-054.html shows how it was built. The construction is the same, however, the spiral was made chaotic instead of regular.
I bought the opaque rubies at sunlightgems.com, but you can find them in other suppliers on occasion. I usually purchase my supplies directly from bead shows, and not from the site, since I get to pick and choose the strands I like.

Two questions: tumbling and failed projects

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:46:00 +0000

I received the following questions:
>>>I guess my question for you (among many) is after creating one of yours (034 coiled bracelet) will it be all right to tumble it to clean it and also to harden the silver?

Answer: Yes, it is totally fine to tumble the coiled bangles. They should resist the tumbling just perfectly. If they don't, then you know you didn't build them right! :-)

>>>>>My next question............How many horrible things did you make and throw out in the beginning

Answer: Just to give you an idea, I have a shoe box I call "the cemetery", which is full of items which will never see the light of day or be shown on a website. This serves to remind me that not everything works out like we want it to, and that we are constantly learning!

Using beads instead of cabs

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 22:23:00 +0000

Question via email:
"I have a question about another one of your tutorials: do you think with the square cab ring it's possible to use a square bead and just be careful about covering up the holes with the wrapping?"

The answer: Yes, absolutely -- the hole can even help to secure the bead better. Instead of starting the pattern right away, thread the wire through the bead first, secure it on the other side of the frame and only then start the weaving.

How to describe one's own work

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:41:00 +0000

I received this question via email:
"I hope your having a great 2008. I have a question/need a little advice....I have been a wire artist for about [number] years now, and I am finally ready to market my jewelry to boutiques, shops, etc. However, as I prepare my brochure about my jewelry, I find it a little challenging to put into words how I want the public to view my jewelry line. For example, making jewelry is an art for me (and you too!!!!!) and I feel really connected to the stones, crystals, metals and I definitely want to express that, but I don't want to sound so deep and 'out there' that I exclude potential customers who like my jewelry just because it's pretty to them. At the same time, I don't want to sound shallow just to appease the mainstream population and feel like I'm not being true to myself and my art. Any advice on how to merge these two ideas would help. Thanks for your time. Happy jewelry making!"

My answer: Describing one's own work is one of the most challenging aspects of our work. I try to keep in mind what I was thinking during the moment I was creating the piece. Was it particularly challenging? Why? What inspired you to create it? A color, a moment, a person, an object?
Also, you can try to keep the description light and even a little bit funny. And most important of all: make it personal. Describe it like you are talking to the person directly, as if it were an email or a blog. That way you connect with the reader and you also eliminate that "new age/hippie" feeling you find in most artistic descriptions.
It is personal to you, it's your "creation", your baby, so make it deeply personal!
I hope this helps!

Spiral bezels for Ornate ring

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:24:00 +0000

Question: I just purchased your pattern for the 037 ornate ring and have a question. When adding the spiral bezels, are they placed on top of the base and wired or do they sit along the outside edge of the base, with the base forming a kind of tiny platform for the cabochon to rest on? I hope this makes sense!

Answer: the question makes perfect sense. The spirals sit alongside the outside of the base, that is why the base needs to be the size of the INSIDE OF THE CAB. So that the cab can sit on it without falling through.

Straightening wire

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Question: It regards wire straightening. I purchase some sterling silver wire. I think it is 24 or 26 gauge – finer, anyway. It came on a reel and it is pretty bumpy – not nice and straight. Is it a good idea to try to straighten it with either a wire straightener or some other tool?

Answer: it's better to avoid straightening wire excessively, because it will make the wire more brittle and springier. But in this case where the wire is really bumpy, do this: cut the length of wire that you require for the project, and then run a soft cloth over it to straighten it. If it's REALLY bumpy, then use nylon jaw pliers, and just run it up once or twice.
And again, avoid doing it a lot, or it will make the wire really brittle and springy in time.

How to hand coil

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:28:00 +0000

Question: [In lessons such as the Coiled Bangle or Ornate Ring] regarding the coiling around the main frame of wire. Can you coil it with your round nose pliers and then slip it on to the frame wire? Other wise, I am having difficult working with such long pieces of wire. Do you cut your wire into more manageable sizes? Or do you start in the middle of the frame and wrap one way and then the other.

Answer: I normally cut a piece of wire that is no longer than my arms length, about 2 feet or under. Then I attach it to the frame by coiling once or twice. This is done by holding the frame and a short 1 inch tail with my left hand, and then holding the end of the long wire with my right hand (all this if you are right handed, of course). Then I pretend I'm sewing, holding only the end of the wire. I don't use the pliers, only my fingers. I don't run the wire along the length of the wire, or else it gets really springy.

I slip the wire through the work, from back to front, and pull it as if I were sewing. When the wire is long, you have to raise your hand to pull the entire length of wire (that's why it can't be longer than your arm). So it's very physical, to say the least.

HAPPY 2008!

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Happy 2008! I'm finally back from vacation and ready to tackle the new year. This year promises some big changes! Some friends and students are wondering why the site updates have been a little slow, both in terms of new jewelry and of tutorials. Well, it's not only because of the holidays == I'm working on a major revamp of the site and it's taking me all my time. It should be ready in 3 to 5 months.... hopefully sooner. So hang in there!

YOJ 2007 Week 44 Rainbow Babies and Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:57:00 +0000

Alright -- after working on a bunch of these babies, I've FINALLY managed to unlock some method to the madness, and what was far more challenging, write a tutorial that made sense of all of it. I'm so psyched, I can't wait to see what people can do with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To this date, it was by far the most complex tutorial to write. Here's the link to the tutorial and to more pictures: Rainbow Wrap Ring Tutorial.

Now, a word of caution: I labeled it VERY ADVANCED, so proceed carefully, these are highly creative waters. Since no two rings are ever alike, the tutorial was divided into three sections. The first two sections can be reproduced faithfully.... the third one is the challenge. To unlock it, I created a series of 4 rules to follow while showing how they are constructed. Let's see how it goes... Send me pics of your beauties!

YOJ 2007 Week 43 Fire Seahorse bangle

noreply@blogger.com (Eni Oken) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:11:00 +0000

This bangle was one of the many commissions created for the end of the year. The buyer requested a piece in the same lines as the Marine Relic bangle, but using only Seahorses and in red and black. I couldn't help but naming the piece "Fire Seahorse bangle", as contradictory as it seems. The two main stones are NOT drilled and were trapped in nets in order to stay secured.